The Art of Pretending
by Strange Music
Summary: A long time ago he managed to escape from them. But now they are back. And even with the Team hard on his heals. His life might never be the same again...


The Art of Pretending  
  
  
  
Author: Strange Music  
  
Fandom: A-Team/The Pretender Crossover  
  
Rating: PG-13 for rough Handling  
  
Summary: A long time ago he managed to escape from them. But now they are back.   
  
And even with the  
  
Team hard on his heals. His life might never be the same again  
  
Archive: yes   
  
Email: strange_music@hotmail.com  
  
Series/Sequel: none  
  
Disclaimer: nothing of the A-Team or The Pretender belongs to me  
  
Warnings: A bit rough Murdock handling  
  
  
  
Ever wondered about Murdock being able to fly as many helicopter and planes as   
  
he seemly can. Or speaking at least a few languages and not forgetting being   
  
able to assume all his personality with so little effort.   
  
If you did..  
  
  
  
Read on ;)  
  
  
  
The Art of Pretending.  
  
  
  
"Billy.....I have the slight feeling we are not in Kansas anymore."  
  
  
  
There was nothing he could see, beside darkness.   
  
  
  
And when he tried to move he found all his movements hindered by the strong grip   
  
of ties that bound him to the chair that he was sitting in.  
  
  
  
First verdict about his situation: He was in trouble.   
  
  
  
The last thing he remembered had been waking up in his new apartment, while a   
  
dark person held a soft cloth over his face. Darkness had caught him before he   
  
had even had the time to think about any defence.  
  
  
  
  
  
Soft footsteps could be heard. And then the whole room light up in bright light.  
  
  
  
He squinted, yet his eyes didn't seemed to be ready to adjust. So all that   
  
greeted his sight was the dark outline of what seemed to be a rather well built   
  
man. Not the built that B.A. had but way above him and Face.  
  
  
  
"Mr. Murdock?" His voice was dark and without any kind of emotion.  
  
  
  
"You know who I am. Why do you bother asking?" Calm and stead. Showing anger or   
  
fear would not help the situation in any kind.   
  
  
  
"Are you Mister Henry Mark Murdock?" the voice could have come from a computer.  
  
  
  
"No." answer them with a smile and they will always wonder what you are up too.   
  
He would have preferred to cross his arms in front of his chest to underline his   
  
show, but the smile would have to do. Let them know who they caught.  
  
  
  
"I ask you again Sir…Is or was your name ever Henry Mark Murdock?" Suddenly the   
  
voice wasn't that calm anymore, as Murdock felt the first sign of annoyance   
  
creep in his speech.   
  
  
  
He did this to people. It was a gift. No matter how hard the Outside. They   
  
always were to break somewhere.  
  
  
  
"No!" trying and failing to shrug. They hadn't had to make them *that* tight.  
  
  
  
"No?" it sounded like a challenge.  
  
  
  
"No!" this time he was laughing. "My name is Jim Beam….but you can call me   
  
Wiskey."  
  
  
  
There was more that he wanted to add. More taunting and more jokes. But it all   
  
went away with the electricity that stormed his body. Making all that he could   
  
think of the next breath and when he would be able to take it.  
  
  
  
"I repeat my question…. Is or was your name ever Henry Mark Murdock?" The   
  
emotionless had not returned to the voice. But now he could here a slight sound   
  
of satisfaction ringing with it. Of all the people to run into, he *had* to   
  
catch one that liked and enjoyed his job.   
  
  
  
It took some time till he had caught enough of his breath back to give an   
  
answer.  
  
  
  
"No." a deep breath. It was still short cached but slowly the oxygen felt like   
  
it was coming back in his lungs "Names Bond…Johnny Bond. You might know my   
  
brother James. If not I can give you his number."  
  
  
  
Taking a deep breath he knew what would come next. Already saw the hand reach   
  
over to the button on the table.  
  
  
  
"Enough!"   
  
  
  
A new voice had appeared. A voice that held more fright for him than any amount   
  
of questioning would have been able too. A voice that he had heard once upon a   
  
time ago.   
  
  
  
Younger….he had been so much younger then. Barely 6 when he heard it the first   
  
time. But much older when he heard it for the last time.   
  
  
  
And with the voice came the realization.  
  
  
  
That it was them. That they had caught him again.  
  
  
  
The Center.  
  
  
  
He was back in the center.  
  
  
  
***~~~***  
  
  
  
"I heard you the first time Face." Hannibal spoke composed trying to calm his   
  
upset Friend. "And I am not saying that him not being at home is a bad sign. I   
  
believe you. Which is why we are on the way over to the apartment."  
  
  
  
A pause  
  
  
  
"I know that there is a chance that he is still there. But you are not going in   
  
there alone."  
  
  
  
A deep sigh  
  
  
  
"I know how precious time is. But so is manpower. And if they already overran   
  
him. How much do you think you can do alone. Now if you calm down and wait for   
  
us before you….Face!…Face?"  
  
  
  
With a scowl he put down the Phone. "Step on the gas B.A. The idiot decided to   
  
go in?"  
  
  
  
No other words had to be exchanged as B.A raised the speed up another 5 mph.   
  
Only a mumbled "An idiot searching for a fool. " escaped the him as they were   
  
forced to wait at another red light in their way.  
  
  
  
Hannibal could only nod  
  
  
  
***~~~***  
  
  
  
Face knew it wasn't method to break into your best friends Apartment on nothing   
  
more than an unanswered Phone-call and a still standing car at the parking   
  
space. Yet in all the times it had happened-There had never been a reason that   
  
would now tell him that there was time to wait. If Murdock wasn't in there   
  
anymore. He would be too late anyway.   
  
  
  
Hannibal would be angry, that he was sure. But what else could he do. What else   
  
should he do after all this was his friend in there, his brother.  
  
  
  
Slowly he made his way upstairs. Always careful at anybody that might still be   
  
around.  
  
  
  
But still trying to be casual enough not too look to much out of place. In case   
  
anybody would still spot him.  
  
  
  
When he arrived at Murdock's floor he very quickly saw that he would be too   
  
late.   
  
  
  
The broken in door giving him the most obvious clue.  
  
  
  
Feeling the defeat he went inside. There might still be clues to be found.  
  
  
  
***~~~***  
  
  
  
"Henry Henry….Why are you giving Marcus such a hard time. After all he was only   
  
trying to help you."  
  
  
  
This sentence wasn't normally even more saying anything about it. But he felt   
  
enough anger "Helping me my a…"  
  
  
  
Shocked hissing stopped his statement "Henry! What kind of language coming from   
  
you! I am not used to hearing this from you. It's like I don't know you anymore"  
  
  
  
"You *NEVER* knew me at all." He had tried to stop himself from shouting those   
  
words and felt himself failing this task when his rather loud voice came to his   
  
ears. To stop himself from jumping up and strangling this man was easier with   
  
the ropes still holding him.   
  
  
  
`Calm down' he chastised himself `Being angry had never done anything good.'   
  
Especially not with him. The Doctor had always been to good in controlling him   
  
through his anger.   
  
  
  
"You might have been there when I grew up. You might have built much of what I   
  
am today. But you *never* knew *me*"  
  
  
  
That smile was back.   
  
  
  
The smile and the eyes that looked at him like he was nothing as a stubborn kind   
  
trying to revolt   
  
  
  
"And there you are wrong Henry. I know you better than you'll ever know." And   
  
with those words he left the room. Leaving Murdock behind in the dark once more.  
  
  
  
To the memories that now started to roam though his mind.   
  
  
  
There was nothing worse than blackness, to make you remember. That why we are so   
  
afraid of the night Because it makes all those memories so clear. It makes us   
  
remember even thou we don't want too.   
  
  
  
Yet, now bound in darkness. To much awaken by the electricity to even think   
  
about closing his eyes, he couldn't stop the past from flowing in his mind.   
  
  
  
And for nothing else than that he hated the Doc.   
  
  
  
Because he was right, he *did* know him.   
  
  
  
He knew how to break him.  
  
  
  
***~~~***  
  
  
  
He hadn't even been through the first room when Face felt the cold metal of a   
  
gun in his neck.  
  
  
  
Berating himself for being so stupid and careless he cursed under his breath.  
  
  
  
"If I would be someone else you would be dead."  
  
  
  
For a moment he was relieved to hear the Colonel voice instead of someone   
  
else's. But then the harsh note in it came clear. Hannibal was far from happy.  
  
  
  
"I may have already lots one of my man. I need the rest to look for him not get   
  
lost to on way of searching. You understand what I am saying Lieutenant."  
  
  
  
Nowadays it was seldom that Hannibal pulled rank. But every time he did Face   
  
knew that it was serious. Like this time.   
  
  
  
"The Lieutenant want to apologize to the Colonel and wishes to place the request   
  
to speak up." It was no wonder that the old words still came like a song to him.   
  
After all there had been a time where he had even spoken rank in his dreams.  
  
  
  
"Request denied" That words were harsh, but softening as he spoke on. "But It's   
  
got to see that you haven't forgotten everything that I taught you Face. Even   
  
when it seems that you have forgotten quiet a lot."  
  
  
  
The cigar in his mouth was bitten down hard "God damn you Face what were you   
  
thinking."  
  
  
  
A wry smile "Seems like I wasn't"  
  
  
  
Silence hung over them.  
  
  
  
"Don't let it happen again." Soft spoken words in a voice that told him that it   
  
was Hannibal again talking to him. "What have you found so far?"  
  
  
  
"Well. No sign of much struggle, but from what it looks like they seemed to have   
  
taken him directly out of bed." He took a deep breath "His cloth are still on   
  
the chair. His alarm was running and there is an angry voice on the answering   
  
mashing claiming to be his boss, firing him for not appearing for duty"   
  
  
  
He looked over at BA going through the other rooms.   
  
  
  
"The door was open when I arrived and the key was still hanging on the inside.   
  
But other than that there was no clue. Not a single one. It's like they appeared   
  
and disappeared out of thin air."  
  
  
  
The meaning of his words stretched between them. No clue of were he might be   
  
meant they were helpless till the kidnapper called them.  
  
  
  
*If* they called them   
  
  
  
He looked at Hannibal as if on silent clue they started searching again.   
  
  
  
None appeared out if thin air.   
  
  
  
And the seldom left without a clue.  
  
  
  
***~~~***  
  
  
  
He hated the darkness.  
  
  
  
Hated it with a vehemence that was seldom met.   
  
  
  
Because Darkness made him Darkness made him think.   
  
  
  
And what was much worse. Darkness made him remember. Something that he at the   
  
fear of costing if his sanity tried to avoid at all times.  
  
  
  
Darkness was no-time. The swift showing and shifting of things that he tried so   
  
hard to forget.   
  
  
  
Even at the VA he had always had a nighlight burning. And now it his new flat   
  
the need was filled by a streetlight burning only a few yards away.   
  
  
  
His few visitor was wondering how could sleep with it  
  
  
  
He often wondered how they couldn't.  
  
  
  
Then finally a light cutting in. The door as it was opened and closed.   
  
  
  
Yet as much as he strained his eyes he couldn't see who it was till the visitor   
  
would turn on the light in front of him. Finally he had reached the table and   
  
the light went on.   
  
  
  
It took him a few moments to adjust his eyes, after the sightlessness, the   
  
sudden fall into light hurt. But soon the shape in front of his eye took more   
  
and more shape.   
  
  
  
Till it finally adjusted to a Face that made him think that he was seeing his   
  
nightmares again.  
  
  
  
The soft eyes, so different from that harsh glance that they had thrown at him   
  
back then. The hair grey the face older. But it was the same man.   
  
  
  
"I am sorry that I didn't come in earlier Henry. But there just wasn't a   
  
chance."  
  
  
  
"Still jumping at their words Sidney" his voice was still harsh and had the   
  
feeling of being quite unhappy with the earlier overusing. But they hit the mark   
  
nevertheless, judging from the look on the other man's face.  
  
  
  
"Listen Henry…"  
  
  
  
"Murdock….or HM. I no longer go by the name Henry."  
  
  
  
The question was there in Sidney eyes. But it wasn't asked out loud "HM…you have   
  
to trust me. I will get you out of here."  
  
  
  
Amused snorting.  
  
  
  
This coming from the man that had never had any real power. He had believed that   
  
he had Power, but had never had more than they *let* him have.   
  
  
  
And Murdock didn't really think that this had changed over the years..  
  
  
  
"I know someone who can help you. I am currently trying to contact him. But you   
  
have to hold on till he does. You think you will be able to do that for me   
  
Hen...HM?" his eyes were looking at him intensely. Taking his head in both of   
  
his hands to give Murdock not other chance than to look at him.  
  
  
  
"I promise that I will get you out of here…you just have to hold on for me? Can   
  
you do that HM?"  
  
  
  
Even despite all his reluctance he felt himself nodding.  
  
  
  
He could hold on. After all there was not much else that he could do at the   
  
moment. And he had always been good at. No matter if it was here in the center   
  
or in the green hell that was Vietnam.  
  
  
  
Or everyday of his life.  
  
  
  
There was something else that Sidney wanted to say but he was cut short by a   
  
sharp voice.  
  
  
  
"Associating with the subjects again Sidney? I though you had learned better   
  
than that." Humorless laughter "I think you better leave now"  
  
  
  
"Shut up" Sidney growled at the man addressing him. But did nevertheless as he   
  
was told.  
  
  
  
Shaking his head Murdock sigh `Still the same amount if spine as you had back   
  
then. Some things just don't change'  
  
  
  
He heard the satisfied laughter that the man opposite of him was laughing and   
  
the instruments as they were arranged.   
  
  
  
"Well Henry let's go on to round two" he promised in the voice that was mingled   
  
with the memory of pain. Both recent and far-away.   
  
  
  
`No some things don't change. Never.'  
  
  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


End file.
